washburne



Sept. 6, 1932- A. L..l wAsHBURNE 1,875,532

BOTTLE CONVEYER AND DELIVERER Filed Deo. 26, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Sept 6 1932 A. l.. wAsHBURNE 1,875,532

BOTTLE` coNvEYER AND DELIVERER Filed Deo. 26. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 6, 1932. A. L. wAsHBURNE BOTTLE CONVEYER AND DELIVERER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed D90. 26. 1930 INVENTOR Harb/URL Was/faz//QA/f.

BY mma 4 ifi/AM ATTORNEYS Sept. 6, 19312. l A. L. wAsHBURNE BOTTLE CONVEYER AND DELIVERER Filed Dec. 26, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q mmm A R ATTORNEY5 gga A. L. WASHBURNE 75g532 BOTTLE CONVEYER AND DELVEREB Filed Deo. 26, 1950 5 Sheets-6mm 5 INVENTQR Hf? fwn/R j.. WASHBURm/s.

Patented sept. 6, 1932.

3 AnrHURLfWAsHBURNn, or .LosANGELEs cALiioR'NIA, Assrdnonfro `snanxmrr'rs BOTTLED WATER .CORP.ORTION, OF CALIFORNIA f .oF Los ANGELES, "CALIF01mm,A A .CORPORATION yno'rrrnn coN'vEYER'AND DELIVERER r1`his invention relates. to afjconveying de-y viceffor transporting and 'automatically discharging bottles or Vdemijohns. VvAs describedV transferring them-to the discharge cGnVeyer.-

Both transfer devices andthe Vendless"conveyer are operated in synehroni'sm'by suitable mechanism. The object of 'this invention is' to provide afnovel association of 'conveyer and bottle deliverymechanism conforming with the mechanism 'j ust described.

An apparatus embodying;the'invention, isp' shown in the accompanying drawings, in Whichz- Fig.' 1 is a side elevationof a' fragment of the endless conveyer and frame thereof show- 4ing the intake end, the'housingforlthe'lconf Aveyer 'and the Washingmechanismf the lat`- ter not being shownin detail; Fig. 2is an end vievv/ ofl'the intake endfoffthe Washer; Fig. 3 is a detail end view on an enlarged vscale of av fragment of the bottle upenderyFigJ/i -is a side view kof a fragment ofthe bottle pusher mechanism; Fig. 5 isa side elevation ofv a fragment of the conveyerV and frame thereof showing the delivery end; Fig. l`Gis an end view of the struc'tureshowirinfFig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail View of a portion of theA bottle discharge control mechanism; and Fig.f8 is a side view' of the Washer showing details of the operating mechanism, parts being broken out to make the'veW more compact.y L5 Referring more `particularly 'to l'the Idraw- At kthe intake-lend of the 1 yratchet Wheel.

Application @led '..December` 26, i 1930. Serial No. 504,770.

ings, a frame Workis denotedgenerally by 10. vThis Vframe work supports an endless conveyer .11 and bottle pushing"y mechanism marked 112. lThe lframe work is enclosed by Walls forminga housing indicated in genw eral by 13. VThehousing 1-3 is openat op-t positeends `and themechanism 14 forup-v ending bottles received from the delivery conveyer is; disposed'at the intake end. The deivery conveyer travels transverse to the .u Washer conveyer 11 and is denoted by 15. `At` the opposite end 'of the housing is the bottle discharge mechanismlindicated generally'by 16 yand taking bottlesfrom theconveyer 11 and transferringthem to a `discharge conveyer marked17 4 Thisdischarge conveyerhas apath of travel i transverse rto* the Washer conveyer. Bottlesresting on their sides are' placed on the delivery conveyer lrand `are .pushed therefromto the Washerconveyerll'and upended. After passing through the washer,y thebottles'are transferredby the discharge transfer mechanism 16 lto the discharge conveyer17 andl'aid on their sides. The Washer conveyer 11 comprises sprocket AWheels 18 `70 and '19, Wheels 19 being the driving Wheels andfixed to a shaft l20 which is rotated by a Sprocket `Wheels 18 are mounted on'aishaft21. chain conveyer disposed `over sprocket wheels 18 and 19 has 75 linkswith bottle carriages-22 extending kbetween and securedto the links.- These carriages have Vopenings 23to receivethe necksl of the bottle=s,fas shown in Fig. 6.y

Referringto Fig. 8-the drive, shaft 20 has 30 secured thereto at one endy a ratchet Whee124. i Pivotally mounted on shaft 20 is a pawl arm 25 havinga detent"26jforfengagement with the ratchet Wheel 24. PaWl arm 25 hasI pivotally secured to the end thereof a connecting "86 link 27 which issecured at'its other endto a reeiprocable rod 28 guided between rollers 29. The upper end of the reciprocable rod 28 isofl'set to provide asrack 30.` A reciprocable ...Huid pressure motor cylinder 31 hasa plunger 'I0 secured to rod 28 whereby to reciprocate the latter and thereby intermittently turn shaft 20. .lournalled upon the housing 13 is a shaft 32 carrying a gear 33 so that reciprocation of the rod 28 causes oscillation of the gear 33 and shaft 32. Upon shaft 32 is a bevel pinion 34. At the opposite end ofl shaft 32 is a bevel pinion 35. Bevel pinion 35 meshes with a bevel gear 36 secured to a shaft 37. Thus, reciprocation of the rod 28 will cause oscillation of shaft 37. Adjacent the ends of shaft 37 are gears 38 fixed thereto, each meshing with a pair of reciprocable racks 39 and 40, oiierackupon each side of each gear sont-hat theracksarecaused to travel in opposite disrectioiis. There are a pair of'racks atV each side of the housing. These racks are guided by a frame 41 having guide rollers 42; Vrlhe outer end of rack rod 39 has pivoted thereto y an extension 43 with a roller 44'thereo`n guided in grooved track 45. At theend of the pivoted extension 43 is a roller 46riding`in track 45. I,Track 45 has an offset 47 forming a turn-A out and va switch 48 ispivoted thereon, so that the roller 46- when disposedto the right 7 or inwardly of the switch, will on its outward.

travelniove upwardly intoYt-he turn-out p47 and on its return, will lift the switch 48v returning on the main track 45. VAAt the outer end of the turn-out is pivoted switch 49f ihaving fa counter weight50 tending to hold.V

the switch in closed positionV asshown in Fig. 1. K Roller 46 will on its outward travel l pass by switch 49 into the main track 45 for return. Mounted upon and depending fronirA `afcross har connecting extensions 43jad3acent their outer ends are pushers 51 for en-Vv bottles and moving them inwardlyY towards tlieupending mechanism. A Oscillation of the gears 3 8 causesV rack rods 39 -to be-` moved so that'on their inward travel, pushers f 51`will engage bottles as shown in,Fig. 1, and move Vthe latter inwardly to the upender.l The return-.movement is suchthat the outer ends of the extensions are lifted byl reason Vof AtheV rollers 46 riding upwardly over switches ,48 into the turn-outs 47 and thence passing downwardlyby the switches 49 into the main tracks 45 so that they are positioned shown in Fig, 1. The positions of the -exvtensions 43 and the pushers 51 on their return are shown in Fig. 4. Thetfurn-outs are such `that the pushers are lifted overy the bottles, a bottlefbeing shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. V

' Rack rod 40 is caused to travel in the opposite direction and has pivotally attached thereto a connectingrod 52 which is attached at its-outer end by a pivot pin to a bracket k forming'a part of levers 53, the latterbeing pivoted on shaft 21.. Leaf spring arms 54 are secured to levers 53 and extend downwardly along .the sides of chutes formed in sections` as indicated by'55a'and 55?). A bottle shown `f.-in dotted lines in Figpl will be pushed by a;

pusher 51 across chute section 55a and into chute section 555. The arms 54 will be moved downwardly when the bottles have arrived with their necks in openings 23 of a conveyer carriage. On the arms 54 are pivoted fingers 56 which are stopped in the position shown in Fig. 3 and may be raised against the action of leaf springs 57. Thus, the arms can be moved downwardly, the ngers 56 being retracted against the action of springs 57 so that the fingers can clear the sides of the bottles. Thereupon the fingers extend to the position shown in Fig. 3 and swinging upwardly of the lever arms 53 in synchronism kwiththe travel of the conveyer 11 will cause bottles to follow the conveyer and to be lifted to `upright position.

the Vbottles and be released therefrom. There- Y upon the 'arms are in position to be turned for the nextfsetv of bottles, The parts are so designedthat on oscillation of the shaft 37 in one direction, the bottles will be pushed from the delivery conveyer by the pushers 51, the upending mechanism .will then extend over the bottles and as the pushers stop will then upend the bottles with movement of the conveyer. A

Referring to Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, a bevel gear. 59 meshes with bevel pinion 34 so that shaft 32 oscillates bevel pinion 59. A shaft 60 0n which bevel gear 59is fixed Vhas fixed thereto crank arms 61. Connected pivotally 64 carrying a slide bearing 65`f0r a slide rod 66. lA'compression spring 67 tends to maintain the slide rod66 inthe left-hand position I shown in Fig. 6. A reciprocating motor 68 has aplunger therein which is attached to rod 66 and is arranged so that fluid pressure acting against the plunger will vmove slide rod 66 to the right against the action of compression spring 67. Slide boxes indicated generally by 69 are provided on slide rod 66 and receive the ends of lever arms 70, the upper end of each lever arm being pivoted on a cross plate 71. The lever arms 70 are pivoted intermediate their ends, and connected to the up? per end of each is a connecting link 72 while below is a connecting -link 7 3., The arrangement is such that upon swinging arms 70 the connecting links are moved to and from each other. These connecting links are secured to the arms of grasping tongs having iaws 74 Vand 75 adapted to embrace a bottle, there being engaging enlargements at the ends of the Jaws, The cylinder 68 has secured to one end thereof a-tube7 6 which is flexible and swings with the -arms 63. A reciprocablevalve 77 which controls the flowoftluid underpres sure to cylindere68 is disposed on the frame# work l and is operated by a buckling link 78, mounted in a stationary position at its upper end 79and`havi-ngits lower end secured to the operating s portion of the valve 77, which operating portion'ismarked 8O in Fig. 7. The knuckle ofthe buckling member is secured as indicated by 8l to a rod 82 guided in slide 'bearings on standard 83. Knuckle 8l when it engages the outer bearing will be straightened so as to depress the valve member 80, and will be then on center so that it will remain in this position runtil positively moved in the other direction. Tappets 84 and 85 are secured to the rod 82 so that in the inner position, the rod 82 will be engaged by arm 63 and can be moved with the buckling link to the position shown in Fig. 7. In the outer position of arms 63, tappet 85 will be engaged and rod 82 will be moved to position the buckling member in line.

In the Ioperation of the machine, conveyer carrying bottles to be washed is operated to position a group of bottles at the intake end of the machine, one bottle for each upender. The conveyer is halted and fluid under pressure admitted tomotor 3l. rThis causes rod rack 28 to be elevated and shaft 32 to be oscillated. At the intake end pushers 51 are initially in position to pass bottles along the chute sections 55a and 556. Rod 39 travels inwardly, while the upender bottle clasping arms descend land the main conveyer travels to position an unoccupied carriage in front of the necks of incoming bottles. Then the bottles are disposed in the carriages, the upender clasping arms start upward travel with the newly'charged carriage and the pushers are returned. The conveyer l5 is moved to position a new set of bottles for upending. While the operation described is taking place at the intake end, the following steps are progressingat the discharge end. Initially the parts are in the l position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The tong arms 74 embrace bottles on acarriage of conveyer 11. The tong assembly is swung by arms 63 outward to'dispose the bottles on,

discharge conveyer 17. At the end of the movement, tappet rod 82 is moved to straighten buckling link 78 and open the valve 77 to admit pressure iluid to motor 68, thereby opening the tcng jaws and releasing the bottles. The tong assembly returns to a position with the aws ready to grasp other bottles on the succeeding carriage which has arrived. The discharge conveyer is moved to position empty spaces for receiving vanether set of bottles. progress of the delivery and discharge conveyers may be timed to operate with the main Obviously the intermittent conveyer andits associated parts by interconnecting mechanism.

What I claim is l. In, a bottle handling machine, an endless conveyer to transport bottles toa discharge end: mechanism to intermittently advance said conveyer step by step including a reciproeable operating member and intermittent advancing means for said conveyer operated by one way movement of saidmember, and a bottle grasping device at the discharge end including oscillatable lever arms mounted to beswung over said conveyer and geared to said member to be oscillated simultaneously with said 'member through a cycle, tongs supported by said arms Vfor grasping bottles, motor means connectioned to said tongs for swinging the jaws thereof to bottle release position, control .means for said motor having a tappet rod actuated by said lever arms at the outer end of their oscillationto cause said motor tomove the tongyjaws to bottle release position and at the inner end of their oscillation operating said valve control means to enable said tong jaws to be closed to bottle clasping position, and means urging said tong jaws to clasping position.

2. In a bottle handlingmachine, an-end less conveyer to Atransport bottles to a discharge-end mechanism to intermittently advance said conveyer step by step including a reciprocablek operating member and intermittent advancing means for said conveyer operated by one-way movementof said member; and a bottle grasping device fat the dis-` charge jend including oscillatablelever arms mounted to `be swung over said conveyer and geared to said member to be oscillated simultaneously with said member through a cycle, tongs supported by said arms for grasping bottles, iuid motor actuated means connected to said tongs forY swinging the jaws thereof to bottle release position, valve control means for said fluid motor actuated means having atappet rod actuated bysaid lever arms at therouter end of their oscillation to supplyyactuating fluid' to said Vmotor and cause movement of the tong jaws to bottle release position andat the inner end of their oscillation operatingsaidvalve control means to enable saidtong jaws to closeto bottle clasping position, andV means urging :said

tong jaws to clasping position.

`3. Ina bottle handling machine, an endless conveyer to transport-bottles to a discharge end: mechanism to intermittently advance saidv conveyer step by step including a reciprocable operating member and intermittent advancing means for said conveyer operated by one-way movement of said member; and a bottle grasping device at the'discharge end including,oscillatable lever arms mountedto be swung over said conveyer and geared to said member to be oscillated simultaneously with said memberthrough a tong jaws to bottle 'the inner end ofthcir oscillation operating rocable rack,

cycle, a cross ybar supported by and between said arms, tongs pivotally supported on said bar for grasping bottles, a fluid motor having piston rod projectible by admission of actua ing ifiuid to said motor, resil ent means urging said rod to retracted position, tong linkage connecting said rod to the arms of said tongs whereby to open the tongs on projection of said rod and to close the tongs on retraction, valve control means for said fluid inotor having a tappet rod actuated byvsaid lever arms the outer end oin th ir oscillation to supply actuating fluid to said motor and including oscillatable lever arms mounted toV be swung over said conveyer and gearedvto said rack to be oscillated siniultaneouslyV therewith through a cycle, tongs supported by said arms for graspinghottles, fluid motor actuated means connected to said tongs for swinging the jaws thereot` to bottle release position, valve control means fornsaid fluid motor actuated means having a tappet rod actuated'by said lever arms at the outer end of their oscillation vto supply actuating fluid to said motor and cause movement of the release position and at said valve control means to enable said tong jaws to close to bottleclasping position, and

means urging said tong jaws to clasping po# Asition. c

5. In a bottle handling machine, an endless conveyer to transport bottles to a discharge end: mechanism` to intermittently advance said conveyer step by step including a recipa pawl and ratchet for advanc- 4 l conveyer'step by step, gearing con-v necting said raclz and pawl to oscillate the latter with reciprocation of said rack; and a bottle grasping device at the discharge end including oscillatable lever arms mounted to be swung over said conveyer and geared to said rack to be oscillated simultaneously with said rack through a cycle, a cross oar supported by and between said arras tongs sup- -ported on said bar for grasping bottles, a 'fluid motor having a piston rod projectible by admission of actuating fluid to said motor, resilient means urging said rod to retracted position, tong linkage connecting said rod to .the arms of said tongs whereby to open the tongs on projection of said rod and to close liu 

